L'Arc~en~CielL'Arc~en~Ciel during their AsiaLive Tour in 2005. From left to right:tetsu (bass), yukihiro (drums), hyde (vocals), ken (guitar)

They're my favorite band. Even if I don't think their songwriting can be put in the same level as someone such as Brian Wilson or Paul McCartney, they certainly do know how to write a damn good pop song that is far more addicting than most other groups. In fact, pretty much everything they put out has merit, and they're one of the most consistent bands I've ever heard. The Beach Boys certainly couldn't claim that; while they had songs that bordered on God-like perfection, they also had some real shit. L'Arc~en~Ciel has, since 1993, been creating one awesome album after another. That's why they're my favorite band, really: I like everything they've done. Everything.

To sum up the band in a single statement (which I will then greatly expand on), they are a rock band playing pop music. No, really. You've got your basic rock band make-up, and they do play rock 'n' roll but it's all very accessible and melodic. Their "heavy" stuff like Shout at the Devil and THE NEPENTHES are exceptions; the rarely have more than one song of this type on an album. But I find pop to be a very large and encompassing term. It can mean the true, undiluted pop of True or the more serious, gloomy, rockier stuff on HEART.

Despite being a pop band, Laruku is made up of some seriously talented musicians. ken is probably the most; he writes at least 50% of the band's music, and rarely is there a clunker in sight. Nearly everything he writes is excellent. Further he's a damn fine guitarist. Not only does he have ridiculous technical skill (his speed and dexterity is no doubt a reflection of his metal roots) but he plays with such passion. You just feel what this guy is playing. His solos aren't just mindless noodling either. He's more of a Clapton: a virtuoso, for sure, but always puts the emotion first. You can really feel what the guy is playing.

Then there's bassist tetsu, whose basslines are so fluid and melodic they are often the most memorable part of the song. In their older days I think the bass was more dominant in the song than it is now, where guitar seems to be the primary driving force in every song (as is typical) and the bass is more a support for the rhythm. As a songwriter tetsu may be perhaps the most pop influenced; all of his music is quite melodic, even when it's fairly dark, such as finale or Blame. I guess he's most popular for his outright pop music, usually fast, energetic, catchy tunes. But it's silly to think that's all he's capable of.

Vocalist hyde is most often revered for his appearance, but most also enjoy his singing. Live he can be hit and miss: he has good days and plenty of bad days, and he admits to never practicing his vocals. But on the record he always sounds great. One thing hyde's voice has is power: sheer, in-your-face, Bono-like power. When he really belts it out, you feel it. As for his songs, it's a mixed bag. He's usually the one writing in a variety of genres, and I suppose his style is less accessible and more "hardcore" than tetsu's, even when it's outright pop music like SEVENTH HEAVEN.

L'Arc~en~Ciel has had three drummers but the first one left so soon he's hardly worth mentioning. The two drummers for the band are sakura and yukihiro. sakura is such an awesome drummer I've dedicated an entire page to him because I admire his style so much. He has such a graceful sound, that's the best way I can describe it. But, due to some conflicts within the band he had to leave after True, and was replaced about a year later by yukihiro. yukihiro is the exact opposite: he rams the groove down your throat. A lot of people prefer this, no doubt. yukihiro's style is perhaps more appropriate for the general pop audience. As far as songs go though, he writes some really weird stuff and generally, if a song seems out of place on the album, it's probably from yukihiro.

When these four guys create an album, I think they really make sure every song meets a quality standard. Every song has a lot of feeling, a lot of emotion, a catchy hook, an attractive arrangement... it's always there. But I won't lie about my feelings: I think L'Arc~en~Ciel's most creative period was from 1993 to somewhere in 1999; ark and ray I think brought on a lot of popularity and pressure, and the process of writing so many songs for the double album took a lot out of them I think. Something really changed there. The post-hiatus music, especially, just doesn't seem quite as fresh as what they were creating in the earlier days. I'm not sure if the band will ever return to its former glory. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong. But nonetheless, the music is still excellent and I still get excited everytime they release something new.

Now, onto the reviews...

DUNE

Rating: 5

Release date: 4/27/1993

Favorite song: As if in a dream

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

Shutting from the sky

5

hyde; L'Arc~en~Ciel

Voice

5

hyde; ken

Taste of love

4

hyde; ken

Entichers

3

hyde

Floods of tears

5

hyde; tetsu

Dune

5

hyde; tetsu

Be destined

4

hyde; ken

tsuioku no joukei

5

hyde; L'Arc~en~Ciel

As if in a dream

6

hyde; ken

ushinawareta nagame

2

hyde; ken

Floods of tears (single version)*

4

hyde; tetsu

yasouka*

3

hyde; ken

yokan*

5

hyde; ken

* indicates only available on the 10th anniversary edition.

For a debut album this is incredible. One of their strongest albums in fact; the songs are all great, and the playing is fantastic. They sound like professionals already. Other than sakura, none of these guys had really seriously recorded an album before this. Incredible. The songwriting is strong throughout; though it's clear tetsu, ken, and hyde haven't quite "found themselves" as songwriters, this produces one of the most unique L'Arc~en~Ciel albums because it doesn't sound entirely quite like them. Plus, many of these songs had been "honed" for quite some time, as the band had been playing together since 1991 and this wasn't recorded until 1993. Really a great serious work; none of these songs are playful or upbeat in the slightest. It's the darkest and most rock of any of their records, even if the sound is sparse and not as heavy as some of their later stuff.

Tierra

Rating: 5

Release date: 7/14/1994

Favorite song: White Feathers

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

In the Air

5

hyde

All Dead

4

hyde

Blame

5

hyde; tetsu

Wind of Gold

4

hyde; ken

Blurry Eyes

5

hyde; tetsu

Inner Core

5

hyde; sakura

nemuri ni yosete

5

hyde; ken

kaze no yukue

5

hyde; ken

hitomi ni utsuru mono

3

hyde; ken

White Feathers

6

hyde; ken

L'Arc~en~Ciel goes major and adds some sophistication to their sound. Synths are layered all over the place and the production is of course quite a bit better. The sound has softened quite a bit too. OK, so there's still All Dead and Inner Core, which would've fit in on DUNE fine, but in general we've got a lighter, more atmospheric L'Arc~en~Ciel here. The opening track indicates that clearly, but then it is epitomized in White Feathers, probably the best song the band ever composed (and I say probably because there are days when As if in a dream puts up some stiff competition). Oh, and let's not forget Blurry Eyes, the only upbeat song on the album, and the first move towards the pop territory, and perhaps one of their best examples of blending pop and rock together. An excellent album and perhaps one of their most cohesive.

heavenly

Rating: 4

Release date: 9/1/1995

Favorite song: Vivid Colors

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

Still I'm With You

4

hyde; ken

Vivid Colors

5

hyde; ken

and She Said

4

hyde

GARASU dama

5

hyde; ken

Secret Signs

2

hyde; ken

C'est La Vie

5

hyde; tetsu

natsu no yuuutsu

3

hyde; ken

Cureless

5

hyde; tetsu

shizuka no umi de

4

hyde; L'Arc~en~Ciel

The Rain Leaves a Scar

5

hyde; ken

A sudden turn into pop music. The band at its most playful, experimenting in pop territory now that Blurry Eyes had proven to be a success. Vivid Colors is the big single, ken's first foray into the pop world, and perhaps the archetypal L'Arc pop song (a lot of their future singles borrow from this style). Of course, rarely have they been able to outdo this song; I was almost tempted to rate it a 6. Of course, there's plenty of other great pop songs on here, such as the creative first track and tetsu's goofy and catchy C'est La Vie. There's still a few DUNE throwbacks as well, such as the awesome Cureless. A transitional album, I suppose, but it does lean heavily into pop territory. There's a playfulness here I don't think is present in a lot of their post-sakura work, and yet they haven't entered into the total pop realm of True. A very strong album, but I had to ding it a point down to a 4 as an album due to the inclusion of the weak Secret Signs, and the inferior album version of natsu no yuuutsu (though the single is a 6!).

BEST ALBUMTrue

Rating: 5

Release date: 12/12/1996

Favorite song: flower

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

Fare Well

5

hyde; ken

Caress of Venus

5

hyde; ken

Round and Round

4

hyde

flower

6

hyde

"good-morning Hide"

5

hyde

the Fourth Avenue Cafe

5

hyde; ken

Lies and Truth ("True" mix)

5

hyde; ken

kaze ni kienaide ("True" mix)

5

hyde; tetsu

I Wish

4

hyde; tetsu

Dearest Love

5

hyde; tetsu

Just think, a day before my tenth birthday, I was totally unaware that my future favorite band was creating an almost Pet Sounds like masterpiece of an album. It comes really, really close. flower was a definite 6, since it's one of the most unique songs they've ever done and certainly one of the most emotionally stirring (and of course catchy like everything here). But hell, Lies and Truth and kaze ni kienaide are both pop masterpieces, the former being an overblown string arrangement with a disco beat, and the latter being more in the vein of their heavenly work. Unfortunately, it takes more than just being the catchiest song ever written (which both of these fight for constantly) to earn a 6. It's not all insanely catchy pop even though that is the majority of the album. Let's not forgot the gorgeous Fare Well, a slow, piano-driven ballad with one of ken's most gorgeous solos, as well as the final track, another slow-moving ballad in 6/8 time and with some of sakura's best drumming. The ending is so big and overblown and emotional, it's like a poppier version of White Feathers. Believe it or not, some fans actually hate this album, since it's so pop. Ignore them; this is Laruku at their peak.

HEART

Rating: 5

Release date: 2/25/1998

Favorite song: fate

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

LORELEY

5

hyde

winter fall

5

hyde; ken

Singin' in the Rain

4

hyde

Shout at the Devil

4

hyde; ken

niji (Album mix)

5

hyde; ken

birth!

5

hyde

Promised land

4

hyde; ken

fate

5

hyde; ken

milky way

3

hyde; tetsu

anata

5

hyde; tetsu

Almost a total 180 from True. Laruku embraces rock music and sound a lot gloomier and a lot grittier now. Sure, you get the occasional pop gem like winter fall which almost overtook fate as my favorite of the album (we're taking Lies and Truth-like catchiness here). But it's the darker stuff that most fans love this album for (and this is probably the most universally loved album of the band). The aforementioned fate generally takes the cake as a fan-favorite, a dark, moving rock number with one of the band's strongest choruses. But elsewhere on the album is more of the same - hyde's excellent LORELEY, a dark rocker to start the album and one of my favorite hyde songs to this day. There's faster songs like Promised land and Shout at the Devil too, which rock in a way Laruku has rarely revisited. The two most significant songs perhaps, are niji, the band's namesake song and a powerful rock ballad, and anata, the first of a number of grandiose orchestral ballads the band attempted and perhaps one of their best still. There's a little something here for everybody, but for those who crave the darker side of the band, you'll find more of it here than anywhere else.

ark

Rating: 4

Release date: 7/1/1999

Favorite song: Driver's High

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

forbidden lover

5

hyde; ken

HEAVEN'S DRIVE

5

hyde

Driver's High

6

hyde; tetsu

Cradle

4

hyde; yukihiro

DIVE TO BLUE

5

hyde; tetsu

Larva

1

yukihiro

Butterfly's Sleep

4

hyde; ken

Perfect Blue

3

hyde; tetsu

shinjitsu to gensou to

3

hyde; ken

What is love

4

hyde; tetsu

Pieces [ark mix]

5

hyde; tetsu

Released at the same time as ray, this album represents one half of Laruku's work since 1998's HEART. But it's not just a random sampling of songs - most of the rock stuff was thrown onto ray, and then the big pop hits and everything else went on here. So you do have some excellent pop tracks like the immortal DIVE TO BLUE and my personal favorite, Driver's High, and of course the anata follow-up, Pieces. But the rest is strange, moody stuff. ken's dark shinjitsu to gensou to, tetsu's confused What is love and bitter Perfect Blue (draped in Hawaiian music, no less). Most of this stuff sounds like a b-side, really. yukihiro also provides his first, and honestly one of his best songs to the band: Cradle, a slow, spacey song with a fantastic acoustic and electric guitar solo from ken. To date this is one of the band's least cohesive albums; it constantly jumps back and forth from some of the band's biggest singles to slower, moodier pieces. Oddly, it's where I got my start with the band...

Oh, and if you're wondering what I'm smoking that I gave Driver's High a 6, being as it is one of the band's most banal songs as it really is about the thrill of driving, all I need to counter with is that it's not only a great driving pop song, but it was also the first song I ever heard from the band. I never said this site was objective!

ray

Rating: 4

Release date: 7/1/1999

Favorite song: HONEY

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

shi no hai

3

hyde; tetsu

It's the end

3

hyde; ken

HONEY

5

hyde

Sell my Soul

4

hyde

snow drop [ray mix]

5

hyde; tetsu

L'heure

1

yukihiro

kasou

4

hyde; ken

shinshoku lose control

4

hyde; ken

trick

1

yukihiro

ibara no namida

5

hyde

the silver shining

5

hyde; ken

Far less schizophrenic than its companion, ray is a lot less interesting but not without its gems as well. Very little in here diverges much from your basic guitar/bass/drums rock track, an oddity for the band. Little of it is bad, but at the same time little of it is as interesting as when the band forays into unknown territory. HONEY is the band's biggest selling single, and rightfully so, a delightfully catchy rock song like only hyde can do (and has continued to do about once a year or so). yukihiro treats us with probably his most boring song ever, trick, which is a guitar heavy rocker that repeats two alternating sections for four minutes. But the rest of the album holds up fairly well. The sparse ballad the silver shining is a fitting end to this grungier album, contrasting with the sugary sweet Pieces that concluded the ark pop-fest. The singles that made it onto this album are darker and heavier than the band's usual output, with the exception being tetsu's snow drop, another instantly likeable pop song. I'd definitely take ark over ray myself, but many seem to prefer the consistency of this one.

ectomorphed works

Rating: 2

Release date: 6/28/2000

Favorite song: kasou [0528 mix]

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

larva [ectomorphed long mix]

1

yukihiro

trick [new2 wave of japanese heavy metal mix]

3

yukihiro

kasou [0528 mix]

4

hyde; ken

fate [everybody knows but god mix]

2

hyde; ken

shinshoku lose control [ectoborn mix]

3

hyde; ken

a swell in the sun [system in chaos mix]

1

yukihiro

l'heure [quiet afternoon mix]

1

yukihiro

cradle [down to the moon mix]

1

hyde; yukihiro

shinjitsu to gensou to [out of reality mix #2]

1

hyde; ken

metropolis [android goes to be a deep sleep mix]

4

hyde; ken

The first album of the new millenium is a remix album, and an overly lengthy, annoying one at that? Erm, anyway, these are all "hand-made" by yukihiro, and you'll realize he mostly decided to remix his own songs and a few of ken's; nothing here from tetsu or hyde (I guess they don't lend themselves to remixing). In some cases there's little difference; L'heure is just as boring here as it was on ray, the only difference being a female whispering occasionally (and he calls it a remix). Most all of these songs are annoyingly long, and this is coming from someone who worships Disintegration. The only case where the extreme length seems to enhance the song is in metropolis, which drones on for ten minutes but adds a cool synth part and such. It's the one song that is good because of its length; the rest are hindered by it. Some of these remixes are interesting, like the breakbeat exercise that is shinshoku, or especially the new, even darker kasou with its menacing new guitar line. But since none of the songs have really been improved upon (with the exception of trick which is far more interesting now, but still ungodly long and somewhat boring), and few were very good to begin with, it's just not something I can really listen to all the way through. A pity.

REAL

Rating: 4

Release date: 8/20/2000

Favorite song: finale

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

get out from the shell-asian version-

4

hyde; yukihiro

THE NEPENTHES

4

hyde; ken

NEO UNIVERSE

5

hyde; ken

bravery

4

hyde; tetsu

LOVE FLIES

5

hyde; ken

finale

5

hyde; tetsu

STAY AWAY

4

hyde; tetsu

ROUTE 666

4

hyde

TIME SLIP

4

hyde; ken

a silent letter

2

hyde; ken

ALL YEAR AROUND FALLING IN LOVE

4

hyde

Here's the first real album of the new millenium (they even appropriately titled it REAL). It's pretty good; better than ark and ray at least, but probably can't compare with any of their earlier albums. The band almost seems to be confused as to where they're supposed to go now that they've become mega-famous. So what we get is this crazy album that's just as schizophrenic as ark if not moreso. Most of these songs are surprisingly heavy though. Most of the album tracks are rather rockish, but even the singles are heavier than the normal fare. LOVE FLIES has a hard rock sound to it, and STAY AWAY is a fairly pop single but with a far rougher sound to it than say, DIVE TO BLUE. Most of it works quite well though, and for me the only low spot on the album is the wandering a silent letter, which meanders about for 6 and a half minutes and doesn't seem to reach a fitting conclusion. My personal favorite on this one is tetsu's overly epic finale, which probably beats out even forbidden lover in terms of power and drama.

Clicked Singles Best 13

Rating: 5

Release date: 3/14/2001

Favorite song: Driver's High

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

Blurry Eyes

5

hyde; tetsu

flower

5

hyde

Lies and Truth

5

hyde; ken

niji

5

hyde; ken

winter fall

5

hyde; ken

DIVE TO BLUE

5

hyde; tetsu

HONEY

5

hyde

HEAVEN'S DRIVE

5

hyde

Pieces

5

hyde; tetsu

Driver's High

5

hyde; tetsu

NEO UNIVERSE

5

hyde; ken

STAY AWAY

4

hyde; tetsu

Anemone

5

hyde

After 8 years, they finally release their first of several "best" albums. Fans got to vote for their favorite singles (since we all know album tracks pale in comparison!) in an online poll, and the results were compiled here. Few surprises, really. Big, dramatic songs like forbidden lover and kasou were left off in favor of pop staples like DIVE TO BLUE and STAY AWAY. The bigger crime is that only three of six brilliant sakura-era singles managed to make it on here... all of them should be, without a doubt. hyde's new song, Anemone is quite pretty though. It's an orchestral ballad, but not of the anata or Pieces variety. It's not quite as sugary, and perhaps more poignant. Gorgeous vocals from hyde on this one. Even though it's not a perfect collection of singles from the band, it's still a great line-up of tunes. With the exception of STAY AWAY which I have to rate a 4, all of Laruku's singles up until this point have been worthy of a 5...

The Best of L'Arc~en~Ciel 1994-1998

Rating: 5

Release date: 3/19/2003

Favorite song: flower

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

In the Air

5

hyde

Blurry Eyes

5

hyde; tetsu

Vivid Colors

5

hyde; ken

and She Said

4

hyde

natsu no yuuutsu [time to say good-bye]

6

hyde; ken

kaze ni kienaide

5

hyde; tetsu

flower

5

hyde

Lies and Truth

5

hyde; ken

Caress of Venus

5

hyde; ken

the Fourth Avenue Cafe

5

hyde; ken

niji

5

hyde; ken

winter fall

5

hyde; ken

Shout at the Devil

4

hyde; ken

fate

5

hyde; ken

anata

5

hyde; tetsu

Sony made an obvious cash-grab by releasing even more "best-of" collections while the band was on hiatus, meaning there had been no original material since the last "best-of" album released. The only reason to own this is because you get the amazing natsu no yuuutsu [time to say good-bye], a perfect mid-tempo rock ballad that they have yet to top if you ask me, which is only available otherwise on an obscure single (of course, Sony has since re-released all Laruku's old singles, so it's not that obscure anymore I guess). You also get the superior single mix of kaze ni kienaide and niji. All the singles from 1994-1998 are included as well as a few interesting album picks. The album tracks all seem to be ones that were fairly popular during live performances. Anyway, a great line-up of songs of course, but that's because you can hardly go wrong assembling a best album from Laruku's early years. The only problem is there's nothing from DUNE of course, but that's to be expected since Sony probably isn't allowed to use tracks from a CD released on a different label.

The Best of L'Arc~en~Ciel c/w

Rating: 3

Release date: 3/19/2003

Favorite song: anata no tame ni

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

Brilliant Years

5

hyde

anata no tame ni

5

hyde; ken

I'm so happy

5

hyde

sayounara

5

hyde

sai wa nagerareta

5

hyde; ken

THE GHOST IN MY ROOM

5

hyde

metropolis

5

hyde; ken

Peeping Tom

3

hyde; ken

a swell in the sun

1

hyde; yukihiro

kasou-1014 mix-

4

hyde; ken

hole

0

yukihiro

get out from the shell

4

hyde; yukihiro

Here's the only thing good to come out of Sony's releasing a bunch of best albums: they finally put all the great b-sides on one disk! I haven't the heart to rate any of the sakura-era ones less than a five. They're all really quite good. From the quick, poppy Brilliant Years to one of their best fast rockers anata no tame ni, and then the nostalgiac sayounara... if there were more b-sides you could really make a great album out of all these songs. The early yukihiro-ones are top-notch too: the dancey THE GHOST IN MY ROOM and the utterly infectious (and highly sexual) metropolis are both incredibly catchy. But once yukihiro started dominating the b-sides things went downhill... after Peeping Tom, everything is boring for the most part. The boys were so busy writing for their double album release that the b-sides were left for yukihiro's rejects. The kasou remix is very cool, but it's in-between all these unlistenable songs. get out from the shell is fine but I can never get to it. For me, the album pretty much ends after metropolis... or maybe Peeping Tom. Which is why I have to give it an overall rating of 3, even if it's nearly impeccable for the first 7 songs.

SMILE

Rating: 3

Release date: 3/31/2004

Favorite song: hitomi no juunin

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

kuchizuke

4

hyde; ken

READY STEADY GO

5

hyde; tetsu

Lover Boy

5

hyde; ken

Feeling Fine

3

hyde; ken

Time goes on

5

hyde; tetsu

Coming Closer

3

hyde; ken

eien

3

hyde

REVELATION

2

hyde; yukihiro

hitomi no juunin

6

hyde; tetsu

Spirit dreams inside

4

hyde

The big comeback... and the worst album Laruku has made to date. It's not bad, no, certainly not. tetsu's material here is all very strong: READY STEADY GO is this ridiculously fast pop rocker with great harmonies in the chorus. tetsu and hyde are a regular Lennon/McCartney. Time goes on is a great mellow tune, and hitomi no juunin is this heart melting ballad with the usual over-the-top orchestrations typical of tetsu. I have to give it a 6 because I think I spent a whole week or so listening to nothing but it once it was released. But everything else is average to bad. yukihiro's song is another loud, repetitive rocker that's catchy maybe the first time through then just boring after that. ken's songs go from decent rockers to self-parodies... Feeling Fine wants to be a catchy pop song, but it's absolutely embarrassing when compared to anything from True. Coming Closer wants to be this big dominating rock song, but compare it to any rock ballad from HEART and, again, it's the same deal. It's like they were trying too hard to be themselves, and the results are frustrating, for me anyway. To make matters worse, the album was rushed, and the arrangements aren't near as fleshed out as they could be. I almost gave this one a 4, but I just can't put it on the same level as a far better album like REAL.

AWAKE

Rating: 4

Release date: 6/22/2005

Favorite song: jojoushi

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

New World

5

yukihiro; yukihiro/hyde

LOST HEAVEN

4

hyde; ken

jojoushi

5

hyde; ken

TRUST

4

hyde; tetsu

Killing Me

5

hyde

AS ONE

3

hyde

My Dear

5

hyde

EXISTENCE

4

hyde; ken

jiyuu e no shoutai

5

hyde; tetsu

Ophelia

3

hyde

hoshizora

5

hyde

twinkle, twinkle

5

ken

Things get much better. Laruku, for the most part, are no longer trying desperately to make sure they meet the expectations of what they should sound like, and write the songs they want to write, or so it seems to me anyway. It was hard picking a favorite, and I wanted to go with My Dear just because it blew me away the first time I heard it. ken rearranged this song which hyde had originally intended for ROENTGEN, and the result is this great dreamy techno piece. The chorus really takes off, and it reminds me exactly of the old days but with a new twist. Instead I picked jojoushi, a gorgeous ballad that ken wrote with hyde's voice in mind, which might explain the fantastic results. The other particularly good thing with this album is that yukihiro's only contribution is helped by hyde, and the end result is the great single New World. Otherwise we've got a pretty mixed bag of songs: a jazzy, piano-and-flugelhorn adorned Ophelia, the metal of AS ONE, the standard rock sound of LOST HEAVEN, the huge dramatic hoshizora, and the most hyper song the band has come up with yet, Killing Me (it's also the catchiest on the album!). It's a bit like REAL in that the band doesn't know exactly what they're striving for, but the results are typically pretty good.

KISS

Rating: 4

Release date: 11/22/2007

Favorite song: MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM

Tracklist

Rating

Words; Music

SEVENTH HEAVEN

5

hyde

Pretty girl

4

ken

MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM

5

hyde; ken

sunadokei

4

tetsu

spiral

3

yukihiro

ALONE EN LA VIDA

5

hyde; ken

DAYBREAK'S BELL

5

hyde; ken

umibe

4

hyde; tetsu

THE BLACK ROSE

3

hyde

Link -KISS Mix-

5

hyde; tetsu

yuki no ashiato

4

hyde; ken

Hurry Xmas

5

hyde

Similar to the last album but not quite as unstructured; the album opens strongly with a few upbeat pop tracks, and ends on a pop note as well. All the dark heavy stuff is thrown in the middle. And for all the hubbub from the band that this was a pop album, it sure is gloomy. The band moves in a few new directions as well: the really synthy, dancy opening of SEVENTH HEAVEN, the hyper jazz of Hurry Xmas, and the elogant and Spanish-guitar influenced ALONE EN LA VIDA. And the rest of the songs, while perhaps not as unique, are just as strong. Even yukihiro's song is very listenable this time around. yuki no ashiato is the only one I can't quite make up my mind on. It's a sappy ballad to end all ballads and I don't know if it's perfect or just mediocre. ken's ballads have always been rather hit and miss with me and this one is just plain hard to figure out. His lonely, desperate ALONE EN LA VIDA is probably the best album track here though, with a gorgeous string arrangement and excellent harmonies in the final chorus. And nothing beats hyde's Hurry Xmas as an album closer. This song just sucks you right in with its catchiness and over-the-top arrangement. I think I have to rank KISS just a tad above AWAKE for all the new directions and interesting sounds present, even if the material is about equal quality.